The present invention relates to the use of pure boswellic acid, a physiologically acceptable salt, a derivative, a salt of said derivative or a vegetable preparation containing boswellic acid for the production of a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of brain tumours.
The present invention also relates to the use of pure boswellic acid, a physiologically acceptable salt, a derivative, a salt of said derivative or a vegetable preparation containing boswellic acid for the treatment of brain tumours.
The possibilities known to date for the therapeutical treatment of brain tumours are unsatisfactory:
So far, the possibilities for a treatment of malignant brain tumours are insufficient. Neurosurgical removal of the brain tumours represents severe surgery and, depending on type, size and position of the brain tumours, in many cases does not lead to the complete removal of the malignant tumours. For these reasons, the average survival of the patients suffering from malignant brain tumours is only about 9 months even after a combined treatment including surgery and radiotherapy. An additional chemotherapy using the cytostatics known so far is able to achieve a prolongation of the survival of only about 10% (Lesser, G. J., Grossman S., The chemotherapy of high-grade astrocytomas, Seminars in Oncology, 1994, 21:220-235).
Glucocorticosteroids have been used for the symptomatic treatment which, however, are not able to effectively reduce the peritumoural brain oedemas so that their use does achieve the desired success.